


If I see you next to never

by SailorChibi



Series: stuckony sentinel-guide [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sentinels & Guides, Alternate Universe - Sentinels and Guides Are Known, BAMF Tony Stark, Bonding, Cuddling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Guide Tony Stark, Hand wavy science, Hugging, Insecure Tony Stark, Miscommunication, Multi, Obadiah Stane is an Asshole, Polyamory, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, Sentinel Steve Rogers, Sentinel/Guide Bonding, Spirit Animals, Threesome - M/M/M, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Winter Soldier Bucky, canon typical torture, draws details from iron man one, hand wavy politics, mentions of torture, minor original characters, original character edward stark, sentinel bucky barnes, so much hand waving really, they're working on it, tony loves his sentinels, well sorta, why can't these idiots talk to each other, zones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-16 04:00:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10563258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: “You should hold onto that,” Yinsen says, and Tony looks up at him. “You have something. Hold onto them, Stark. It will keep you going even when you think you can’t. Don’t let their memory fade away. Believe, if nothing else, that they need their guide back.”Tony is kidnapped in Afghanistan. Bucky and Steve are waiting for him to come home.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like this isn't where anyone thought this series would go, particularly the person who commissioned me, yet I really wanted Tony to have the arc reactor. I hope this first part isn't boring to read; I tried to make it different enough from the movie to make it interesting.

It’s Stane’s fault, but Tony will forever curse himself for not being smarter. 

It was Edward who came to him one morning, shuffling into the room with his hands in his pockets and a sulky look on his face. He was heading overseas, he’d said, to do demonstrations for to the American military on behalf of Stark Industries, and he wanted to know if Tony wanted to join him. In Tony’s eyes, it was essentially an invitation to find out more about Howard’s life after Tony had gone into the ice – because history books, Tony found out quickly, could only tell you so much – as well as Howard’s child, and Tony found himself accepting.

The fact that it also got him away from Bucky and Steve was something Tony quietly considered a bonus: things had been _weird_ since Bucky was rescued from Hydra. Granted, it had only been a couple of weeks, but Tony still felt the itch to get some space. He wasn’t used to Steve hovering quite that much, and add in the general feeling of not-quite-belonging and Tony was ready to go.

Funny. As Tony’s head breaks the surface and he drags in a badly-needed breath, spitting out mouthfuls of rancid water, he thinks to himself that he’d sell his soul to see Bucky or Steve right now. He goes limp and lets himself be dragged back to the cell and thrown in like trash. He lays there for a moment, eyes shut, thinking about the look on Bucky’s face when Tony walked up the ramp to the plane. About the way that Steve’s hands had twitched, like he wanted to hug Tony goodbye.

He shouldn’t have left. They, especially Bucky, needed him. 

“They are not going to give up,” Yinsen says. Tony squints up at him, still half-blinded by the dunkings. Yinsen has that look of forced patience on his face, the one that reminds Tony so much of Bruce. It makes him ache even more for what he left behind in New York.

He should’ve been smarter. He should’ve followed up on the glint of concern in Natasha’s eyes when she heard where he was going. He should’ve talked to Steve and Bucky. He should’ve demanded that they start from scratch instead of all three of them awkwardly dancing around each other for days, trying to force together puzzle pieces that didn’t know how to fit. He should’ve done anything but get on that plane with Edward. 

Edward. Tony’s eyes feel hot, though he refuses to cry. Sometimes the pain is bad enough to cause tears, but that’s an automatic reaction from his body that he can’t control. He hasn’t actually cried since he woke up in these disgusting, gross caves with a bunch of men standing over him screaming. Not even when he found out that Edward was probably dead, or that he had a car battery in his chest keeping him alive.

“Stark. Are you with me?”

“I don’t want to be,” Tony admits, but somehow summons the strength to drag himself into a seated position. The room spins and his stomach clenches; he vomits water and the remains of the thin soup they were given for breakfast, hacking and coughing until his body is trembling with the exertion. 

Maybe he’ll die from dry drowning, he thinks hazily. He tries his best not to breathe in water. But sometimes they hold him down for so long that he can’t help it. He always coughs the water back up, but his chest feels unbearably heavy afterwards. Of course, that could also be the shrapnel in his heart. Yinsen insists the car battery is strong enough to keep him alive, but Tony has his (unshared) doubts.

“But you are,” Yinsen says, and it’s not up for argument. “They’re going to kill you. You need to make a decision.”

Tony chokes on a laugh. “It’s not like my options are open,” he says. “The last time I was this close to death, I was flying a missile through a portal in the sky.” And before that was the plane crash into the ice, though Tony tries not to think too closely on that experience. At least then, he was with Steve. During the worst moments, he clings to the memory of Steve’s arms around him.

“A missile through a portal in the sky?” Both of Yinsen’s eyebrows go up. It’s obvious from the expression on his face that he thinks Tony’s delusional.

“In my armor…” Tony trails off, looking down at the car battery. The armor crapped out after he entered the portal. It was a wreck after the battle anyway, and Tony hasn’t tried to re-build it since. Frankly, he hasn’t had the time to sit down and reassess kinks or work out improvements. There was one thing he was fiddling with – the armor would’ve functioned better with assistance, but there was no way Tony was relying on outside help. No. He was thoroughly enamored with the idea of artificial intelligence – but that won’t help him now.

The armor, though. If it could withstand Chitauri guns, human bullets wouldn’t do much harm. He won’t have the right materials to work with exactly, but it’s blatantly obvious that the idiots outside don’t know much about what they’re asking him to make so he could probably get rough materials. They could probably do this. But… he glances up, eyeing Yinsen. He’s wary of sharing too many details with anyone considering how much that’s bitten him in the ass before. 

Howard used to claim that he didn’t mean to accept all the accolades for their joint work. It was just easier, he’d say, because Tony was a guide and people didn’t understand how intelligent guides could be and the military was so touchy and they’d side-eye any invention that much harder if they knew. He said it like he was doing Tony a favor. But Tony knows that’s a lot of bullshit. It’s not Tony’s name attached to any of the inventions that Howard Stark created, not even to a lousy footnote, and had he not gone into the ice with Steve, he knows that Howard wouldn’t have been any more willing to share the glory.

Kind of like Stane. No wonder the two of them got on so well. And no wonder that Howard is no longer alive. Since waking up in this cave, Tony’s wondered a couple of times how long it was before Stane decided that Howard had to go. All reports say that Howard died in a drunk driving accident, but Tony would bet his last penny that Stane’s the one who orchestrated it.

He doesn’t want the company- hell, he got paid a lot of money _not_ to want the company – so it does beg the question of why Stane wants Tony out of the way as well. Tony intends to ask him right before he puts a bullet through Stane’s heart. The mental picture makes him smile grimly and gives him the strength to get his legs under him. He stands very slowly, leaning heavily against the wall.

Yinsen is watching him like he’s expecting Tony to explode. “Are you delirious?”

“No. Not at all. I think I have a plan.”

“To do as they ask?”

“God no,” Tony says, revolted by the thought. He was in the army. He created things that made an awful lot of people die. He’s seen it happen first-hand. Worse yet, he’s investigated what Howard expanded their joint research into: weapons. So many weapons. It makes him feel ill to know that Howard wouldn’t have been able to do that if Tony hadn’t helped. He might as well have created the weapons himself. He has enough blood on his hands.

“Then what?”

Tony’s eyes flick towards the door to make sure they’re not being eavesdropped on. Regardless, he still lowers his voice. “Escape.”

“You are delirious,” Yinsen says.

“I’m not. I swear. You can feel my forehead if you want.” He spins away before Yinsen can answer and catches a glimpse of an eagle’s shadow out of the corner of his eye. His chest hurts for reasons that have very little to do with the car battery in his arms. 

Yinsen sighs. “Tell me your plan, then.”

So Tony does what he does best and he talks. And as he talks, he watches Yinsen’s face slowly change from outright skepticism and disbelief into grudging respect. It’s a good feeling, even if Yinsen does call him crazy when Tony finally falls silent.

“I know I am,” Tony says, not offended. “But… I have something to go home to.” And there, in his peripheral vision, is the shadow of a fox. 

It’s been happening more and more frequently. He’s never seen his own spirit animal, and he can’t actually make out the details of Steve’s eagle or Bucky’s fox. They’re always shadows. And it’s maddening in a way, because he so badly wants to know whether Bucky’s doing better. He wants to know if the fox is back to its healthy-looking self, or if it still looks as raggedy and ill-defined as it did last Tony saw it. He wants to be able to feel more than just the flimsy edges of their bond.

He has hope. He can’t help it. He prays every day that the spiritual animals are a sign that Bucky and Steve are close to finding him, and in the meantime he draws as much comfort from them as he can considering the circumstances. He refuses to think that they’re figments of his imagination, and that Bucky and Steve aren’t looking for him after all – or worse, that they think he’s dead.

“Your sentinels?” Yinsen’s voice is knowing.

“You realized, huh.”

“The gold in your eyes could easily be mistaken for hazel,” Yinsen allows. “But you speak in your sleep, sometimes. Particularly after the surgery.” He doesn’t look at the car battery, and neither does Tony. “You called out for them.”

“They probably don’t even miss me,” Tony says, not entirely sure he’s lying. 

Yinsen doesn’t answer that, instead saying, “You should exercise caution. They’ll kill you if you find out. Their religion does not look favorably on guides.”

“Not much I can do to keep it under wraps,” Tony points out. Thankfully, he’s never been a guide who gets overloaded that easily. He can keep himself pretty well-grounded. The bond helps, of course, stretched and thread-bare as it is, but even with that some guides would’ve fallen prey to the aura of hatred, anger and greed that permeates this place weeks ago.

He’s strong, though. He’s held on this long, and he’s not going to give up. So he ignores Yinsen’s doubtful look and carries the car battery over to the sad excuse for a desk. It’s more a slab of wood propped up on two rocks, but it’ll do. He sets the battery down with care and pulls out a piece of paper, beginning to sketch quickly. The original armor had an exterior power source, and this time he has something different in mind.

It takes – oh, it takes such a long time. They stop water boarding him when they think he’s complying with their demands because he has to be able to work. Instead they take to threatening Yinsen, which is a whole different set of issues altogether. Yinsen bears the threats with the grace of someone who’s largely immune, which is something that Tony kind of envies him for. 

“They have already done worse to me,” Yinsen explains without prompting. His eyes are distant, looking at things that Tony can’t see. “In the end, nothing they do will matter. We will leave them behind.” He actually smiles at Tony then, the first smile Tony’s ever seen from him.

“Yeah, we will,” Tony says, hoping against hope that he’s speaking the truth, because he’ll never admit it out loud but with every passing day he starts to wonder more and more if they’re actually going to die here. His hopes of a rescue are gone completely, because if anyone was going to come then he knows they would’ve come by now. 

In his darkest moments, he has to wonder if anyone even searched. Maybe they don’t care, or maybe they think he‘s already dead. Logically, he knows that Steve would never give up. Not if he thought there was even a chance that Tony was still alive. And the bond is still viable, even if it feels like it’s fading a little bit more every day as Tony grows more exhausted and weaker. Steve would know. Bucky would know.

But that doesn’t stop the whisper of doubt from creeping into his head. That maybe they can’t feel the bond, because the two of them couldn’t even see their spirit animals for years, and maybe the whole world thinks that Tony Stark died months ago (he doesn’t even know what day it is; time has fallen apart around him, and it could have been years for all he knows). Maybe they’re right. 

“Your sentinels,” Yinsen says one night, or at least Tony thinks it’s night. It’s hard to tell in the middle of a cave. Tony looks up from where he’s taking a break from welding, from where he’s concentrating on trying to breathe in spite of the pressure on his chest and the stifling heat.

“What about them?” he asks. His voice comes out hoarse, though he doesn’t remember screaming recently.

“What are they like?”

The question surprises Tony. His automatic reaction is to tell Yinsen off and say that it’s none of his business, but he bites it back at the last second. Yinsen deserves more than that. Instead, he says, “They’re good people.”

“But you think they don’t miss you.”

Hearing the words spoken by someone else makes it sound pathetic. “I… I don’t know. We were having problems before I came here.” He drops his gaze, pulling at a loose thread on his shirt. “One of them… he’d been kidnapped. Brainwashed. Tortured. He didn’t even know who we were at first. I was able to bring his mind back, I think, but… he wasn’t doing that well.”

Yinsen shifts, possibly to relieve pressure on his newest set of bruises. “And the other?”

“Steve.” It hurts. It hurts _so_ much. “He’s such a good guy. Way better than me. He was trying to take care of both of us.” Because Tony knows that now. He can see it, and he wishes to god that he’d realized that before. Steve’s a mother hen, always has been, but sometimes he doesn’t express it in the right way. This time it turned into silent stares and awkward hovering that was like needles under Tony’s skin, when really Steve probably just wanted to give a hug and wasn’t sure how to offer. 

At the time, Tony was convinced that it meant that Steve and Bucky didn’t really want him and were just being kind. Or that they thought turning him away meant he would leave when Bucky needed him most. Jokes on them. Tony went and left anyway. For a moment he feels like laughing, except then he’ll start to cry and he refuses to do that here.

“Do you love them?” Yinsen asks.

“Yes.” The word is out before Tony has time to think about it, but – even though it surprises him – he knows it’s the truth. He’s been in love with Steve since the day a tiny sentinel took Tony’s hand and shook it as firmly as he’d shake anyone’s hands. His love for Bucky came more gradually, but it’s been cemented in his heart since Bucky complimented his hands.

He looks at his hands and wonders if Bucky would still love them now. They’re scratched, bruised and badly burned in spots. His nails are torn to the quick on at least four fingers, and several of his knuckles are swollen – though not broken, not after Tony pointed out how difficult it would be for him to work without his hands.

“You should hold onto that,” Yinsen says, and Tony looks up at him. “You have something. Hold onto them, Stark. It will keep you going even when you think you can’t. Don’t let their memory fade away. Believe, if nothing else, that they need their guide back.”

The death of a guide would be traumatizing to sentinels like Steve and Bucky. The shock alone could kill them both. Tony’s not going to let that happen. And besides, it’s not just Steve and Bucky. It’s Natasha, who steals into his room at 3am and curls up on the bed with him. It’s Clint, who likes the most disgusting food combinations and hides on top of the fridge to scare the daylights out of people. It’s Bruce, who still looks at Tony like he’s something precious just because Tony isn’t afraid of him. It’s Thor, who is as intrigued by this century as Tony is and always willing to learn something new. It’s Fury, who lies as easily as he breathes but employed lawyers like Pepper to help Tony out. It’s Coulson, who loves Clint more than anything and is fiercely protective of the team.

Their images flash through his head. For the first time in god knows how long, he can actually see all of them: they’re smiling and their eyes say they’re waiting for him to come home. He thought he had forgotten their faces, but no. It makes his throat tight and his eyes hot to imagine the last time he saw any of them, and that was when Bruce, Natasha, and Bucky came to say goodbye and watched him climb the stairs to that stupid plane. 

“I told you once I had something to go home to,” he says. He gets up with renewed determination and returns to work. 

Honestly, right up until the armor powers up, Tony has his doubts that this scheme will work. But it does. Sort of. Tony blasts his way right through the guards, but he’s not expecting Yinsen to grab a weapon and charge off by himself. He follows – he does, because he promised they’d both escape together - but Yinsen dies in Tony’s arms, and his last words are for Tony to find his sentinels and not waste his life. 

Tony burns it all. Every last inch goes up in flames and he feels… not happy, not even close, but a grim sort of satisfaction. The screaming dies out as he takes off, pushing the suit to maximum capacity to get as much distance as he can in what little time is left. This time, when he falls, there is no one to catch him and no arms wrapped around him. 

He falls alone.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of helicopters overhead makes for a rude awakening. Tony jerks and looks around frantically, half-expecting to find a guard or Yinsen leaning over him, and it takes several seconds for his brain to process that he's not in the caves. Instead, he's laying on hot sand in crushed, broken remains of the armor. He has more bruises and scrapes than he knows what to do with; his chest feels even heavier than usual, and he wonders if he's broken a few ribs. It feels like his left wrist might be broken, or at least badly sprained. And his skin is turning an impressive shade of red from the sun.

There's also a helicopter touching down about a hundred feet away. He drags himself up, cringing in pain, and scans the wreckage to see if there's something that can be used as a weapon just in case the helicopter contains more of the same idiots he just escaped. He can't go back to them. It took everything he had to escape the first time: literally everything in Yinsen's case. Tony will - well he's not sure what he'll do, but he _can't_ go back to those stupid caves, he just _can't_ \- 

The door of the helicopter gets dragged open and a black man jumps out wearing a uniform for the U.S. military. He jogs across the sand towards Tony. "Mr. Stark? Is that you?" His voice is barely audible over the sound of the helicopter, and yet it's easily the most beautiful thing that Tony's ever heard.

"That's me," Tony says hoarsely, his throat aching. 

"Colonel James Rhodes," the man says, crouching down in front of Tony. His smile is absurdly kind. "I know an awful lot of people who have been searching for you very hard, Mr. Stark. I'm glad we found you. I'd hate to disappoint Captain America, or any of the Avengers for that matter."

Tony finds himself laughing. Very shortly, the laughter gives away to tears as he leans forward, throwing his arms around Rhodes's shoulders. Rhodes hugs him back, firm enough to be real but gentle enough not to hurt, and it's exactly what Tony needs most at the moment. The knowledge that Steve and Bucky and the rest of the team kept looking for him sinks deep into his bones, and suddenly he feels like an idiot for ever doubting that any of them would stop, especially Steve and Bucky. The urge to see them all again feels like an empty hole in the pit of his stomach. He clenches his fists in Rhodes's uniform.

"Where are they?" he asks pitifully.

"Someone's already contacting them," Rhodes says soothingly. "They'll meet us back at the base. Now come on. What do you say we get you out of this desert sun, huh? It looks to me like you could benefit from a visit to the doctor."

Though he loathes the doctor, Tony nods. "Please."

Rhodes beckons behind him at the two men emerging from the helicopter with a gurney. They don't let Tony stand up, insisting that he could have injuries that he doesn't know about. Instead, they lay the gurney flat on the ground and sort of shuffle Tony onto it, then strap him in place. Then the gurney is lifted. Tony flails a little, panic setting in, until Rhodes grabs his hand and squeezes it. He smiles when Tony looks at him in confusion and keeps pace with the gurney, not letting go even when Tony is being lifted into the helicopter and the medics start fussing around him.

"You're gonna be okay, Mr. Stark," he says, the words meant solely for Tony's ears. "I know a couple of the doctors back at the base. They're good people."

"How do you know them?" Tony asks, before he stops to think that maybe that's not information the colonel wants to share.

"I've had a couple visits myself," Rhodes says. He lifts up his shirt on the left side of his body, showing Tony his waist and the puckered scar that's horizontal to his belly button. "Got that when I was young and stupid."

"I'm not young," Tony croaks, "just stupid."

Rhodes grins. "You're gonna be fine," he promises, squeezing Tony's hand gently.

There's something in the I.V. that's making him feel sleepy, he's sure of it. His pounding heart is starting to slow down, and the world is going grey at the edges. Tony panics a little. He tugs at Rhodes's hand. "Don't let them remove the arc reactor," he says urgently. "There's shrapnel in my heart. If they take it out, I'm going to die."

Rhodes's eyes go wide, but his only other reaction is a solemn nod. "Don't worry, Mr. Stark. I won't. I'll stay with you, I promise."

"It's Tony," Tony mumbles.

"Then you can call me James."

Tony already knows a James. "Rhodey," he decides. "I'll call you Rhodey."

Rhodey's laugh is the last thing he hears before everything goes dark.

Quiet beeping is the first thing he hears when he wakes up - annoying, but hugely preferable to screaming or the blades of a helicopter. Tony blinks slowly and sees a blonde woman standing over him, dressed in sterile white with a mask over her lower face. When she sees that his eyes are open, she pats his arm. He can't feel the touch, but he sees her hand moving. He thinks he tries to say something to her, but his tongue feels huge and thick and his brain is slow as molasses. He passes out again before she answers.

When he wakes up a second time he still feels like he's floating, but at least the world makes a little more sense. He's in a hospital room. He's wearing some flimsy gown made of lightweight fabric - and he can see the faint blue light of the arc reactor through the fabric, which is immensely comforting. Every inch of skin that he can see beyond the gown is bandaged in some way, but none of it hurts. Obviously he's on some pretty strong pain medication, which accounts for the floaty feeling. Medicine has certainly come a long way from what Tony remembers from the war.

He lets his eyes wander further and discovers that there are two separate hands each holding onto his hands. Neither of those hands are black, which discounts Rhodey. But that's okay because it turns out one hand belongs to Steve and the other hand belongs to Bucky. The heart monitor lets out a beep that's just a little higher-pitched at the way Tony's heart is racing and Steve immediately jerks awake, looking around the room frantically. It doesn't take him long to figure out the cause.

"Tony," he breathes. "Oh fuck, Tony, you're awake."

"Steve," Tony says, or tries to. It comes out as a pitiful whisper.

Steve's eyes fill with tears. He's actually crying. Tony stares at him in wonder, because the last time Steve cried it was because Bucky was back. He watches as Steve bends down over their clasped hands. A moment later, he feels the soft press of lips against the back of his hand. Steve just kissed his hand. Steve is crying over his hand. What the hell is in these drugs?

"I thought we'd lost you," Steve says after several seconds. "God, Tony. When we received word about the ambush... I thought for sure..." He looks up again, and Tony realizes for the first just how wrecked he looks. "I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry that Bucky and I let you go alone. We should've been there with you every step of the way."

"Steve, no," Tony whispers, grimacing. His throat aches. He jumps when a cup of water suddenly appears in his vision and follows it to Bucky's grave face. When the hell did Bucky wake up?! These quiet fuckers. He scowls, but obediently opens his mouth for the straw. The warm water - clean, untainted water - tastes so good and goes a long way towards easing the dryness of his throat.

"I wanted to go," Tony says, pleased that he can actually speak now. "And I wanted to go by myself. I needed the time." He huffs out a laugh. "I didn't think I'd get that much time. How long was I gone for?"

"Three months," Bucky tells him. The information turns Tony's world upside down. Three months? He's not even aware that he's crying until Bucky sets the cup of water down and runs a thumb under Tony's eyes, wiping away the tears.

Three months is a long time. His eyes go from Bucky to Steve and back again. They've had three months together where it was just the two of them. Ample opportunity for them to take their relationship right back where it was during the war. The thought makes Tony's chest ache for a reason that has nothing to do with the arc reactor and everything to do with how unbearable it would be to have to watch them together. What does it say about him that he's been rescued and the only thing he can think about is whether there's even a space for him here?

"It's okay, Tony," Steve says. "It's okay. We're here." 

Tony jumps again when he feels the first tentative brush against his shields. He's kept them sewn up tight for so long that he almost can't remember what it's like to let them down. Slowly, he uncurls them just enough to let the awareness of Bucky and Steve seep in. A torrent of _guiltreliefangerfearlove_ sweeps in like a flood, washing over Tony from head to toe. He blinks, disoriented.

The eagle, fox and cat appear one by one, like faded images coming into focus. The eagle is perched on the bars on Steve's side of the bed. The fox is curled up near Tony's shoulder on Bucky's side. The cat - and holy shit, Tony's spirit animal looks like it's been through the wringer - is in Steve's lap, which explains why Steve hasn't stood up yet. 

"I can see them," Tony says, starting to cry. Again. Jesus. But he can't help it. He's missed them so much. "I can see you."

Bucky's the first to move, perching on the bed and curling around Tony and the fox. Steve lifts the cat - so gentle - and takes a seat on the other side, placing the cat in Tony's lap and then running his hands through Tony's hair. They're warm and he can feel them in his head, his strong loving sentinels, both of them exhausted and on edge because of him. Because of Tony. 

"We missed you," Bucky says, very quietly. "We love you." He brushes more tears from Tony's face. "This isn't something that can be fixed, but we're here. We're not going anywhere. I'm not gonna make the same mistake twice, okay?"

"Me either. I'm gonna be here for both of you," Steve says, looking every bit as determined as the tiny sentinel that shook Tony's head seventy-some years ago. "Somehow, we're gonna figure it out. All three of us."

No one else comes into the room until Tony stops crying, which suggests that they’re being observed. Tony doesn’t care. He’s irrationally happy to see the rest of the team; Thor greets him in a booming voice that has a passing nurse shooting a dark look in his direction. Clint makes a joke, possibly trying to hide how red his eyes are. Bruce comes close enough to set a hand on Tony’s arm under the guise of check his I.V., which doesn’t fool Tony for a second.

Natasha is the last to enter, and, much to Tony’s surprise, she’s not alone. “I brought sorely needed company,” she says, ushering Coulson and Pepper Potts into the room. She shuts the door and puts a little device on the wall. The device makes a clicking sound and then swaths of blue light wash across the walls, until the room is coated. Tony stares at the blue light (so like the light that now shines from his chest) and shudders until Bucky kisses his cheek and Steve pets his hair.

“Hello, Mr. Stark,” Pepper says, her voice very gentle. “I won’t keep this long. You must be exhausted.”

“I’m okay,” Tony says, which makes both Steve and Bucky snort skeptically.

“Agent Romanov and Agent Barton wanted me present while they reported some delicate information. If you’d rather have someone else as your legal counsel –”

“I want you,” Tony says, maybe too quick. But Pepper’s kind and vicious at the same time; she smiled when Tony flirted with her and even winked at him a couple of times. She smiled even wider when Obadiah Stane leered at her, and then in the span of about five minutes she tore him to shreds and earned Tony millions of dollars. 

He's half-expecting her to turn him down, but all she does is smile at him. "I'm honored. Please, Agent Romanov, won't you begin?"

"Edward is dead," Natasha says bluntly. 

The news hurts a lot even though Tony barely knew the kid. But he was still Howard's son, and one of the very few links that Tony had to his older brother. He remembers thinking that Edward was a playboy idiot and clenches his hands into fists until his palms ache. 

"I figured," he says hoarsely. It's the only answer he can bring himself to give.

Natasha touches his ankle, the only sign of her sympathy. "He was killed immediately in the ambush. His body was retrieved and he was given a full funeral while you were gone. Steve had it recorded for you, if you'd like to watch it later."

"Thank you," Tony says, and feels Steve squeeze his shoulder in response.

"We think the person who arranged for the kidnapping was Stane," says Clint. His arms are folded. No one in the room looks surprised by the announcement, so it's obviously something they've discussed before. Tony wonders if they're expecting him to react with shock. If anything, he only feels empty at having his suspicions confirmed.

"He wants me out of the way. With Edward and me dead, there's no one to step up and take control of Stark Industries. Stane can do whatever he wants," Tony concludes. Bucky growls quietly, face smoothing out with anger. Tony takes his hand, opening his shields and sending a soothing wave of calm.

"Based on the evidence that we've found, that conclusion is correct. We were waiting for you to decide what to do about it," Natasha explains.

And that does surprise Tony, because none of them knew whether he was coming back. He could've died there in those caves and no one would've been the wiser; his body wouldn't have been found. He struggles to keep from breaking down into tears all over again, because he'd hoped against hope that they missed him - but he'd never thought they would still be waiting for him.

"What are the options?" Steve asks when it becomes obvious that Tony can't speak.

"We can have him arrested and taken to court," Coulson says, taking a step forward. "SHIELD's been looking into Stark Industries for years. We can provide Pepper with plenty of evidence to put Stane behind bars for a very long time. That would drag the reputation of the company through the mud, though. I'm not sure it would ever recover, to be honest."

"You would make out okay, though," Pepper adds. "I looked up some figures and sent them to a friend of mine. In addition to what you've already got, you would be pretty well off. And there is always the opportunity to open a new company in the future should you choose to go that route."

"What's the alternative?" Tony asks. "Waiting until Stane tries to kill me again and catching him in the act?"

"No!" 

The exclamation comes from pretty much everyone and Tony flinches back in surprise. He stares in wonder at Bruce, who actually looks a little green with rage, and at Thor, who has hefted mjolnir as though he'll taken down anyone who tries. Bucky and Steve grabbed him after his question, and they're holding onto him so tightly that it hurts. Tony doesn't mind, though. He relishes it.

"Actually, we were thinking more along the lines of killing Stane," Natasha says. Even she looks a little flustered now. 

"What?!" Tony squeaks. "That's illegal!" He can't help looking at Pepper.

"I'm not hearing this," Pepper says with a bland smile. 

"We can do it pretty easy, Tones," Clint says. "Bucky, Tash and I can take him down before he even realizes what happens. He's gotten pretty complacent in the past couple weeks. Just say the word." He mimes a gun with his index finger and thumb. "I'd love to put a bullet in that bastard's brain."

"The problem with this scenario is that it doesn't solve the issues within Stark Industries. Stane has made some very poor decisions. I can go over them with you in-depth later on," Coulson says. "But suffice it to say, things are a fucking mess."

Tony has a headache. He puts a hand to his hand, not even noticing the worried looks that Bucky and Steve exchange. He hates the thought of killing another person, even if it is Stane; he's had enough of death. But jail... prison... it just doesn't seem like enough of a punishment. Natasha told him once what prison was like for those who had money. It's a better like than Stane deserves.

"Do it," he says, very quietly. "Pepper, Agent, could you - would you two bring the company down? Please?" His throat aches. He'll be putting thousands of people out of work. Striking a huge blow to the economy. Destroying Howard's legacy. But his brother wouldn't have wanted this. Howard was a child at heart, fascinated by moving pictures and flashy things. He'd only gotten into weapons manufacturing because of the war. Tony has to believe that his brother would be horrified by what Stark Industries has become, and that he would want Tony to do this.

"Of course we can," Pepper says. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure." Tony's hands are shaking. He can't help clinging when Bucky sits up. Bucky looks at him.

"Do you want me to stay, doll?" he asks gently. "Clint and Natasha can take care of it."

"No... no, it's fine." He forces himself to let go. Bucky frowns a little, but leans down to give him a quick kiss. He, Natasha, Clint, Pepper and Coulson file out the door.

That leaves Bruce and Thor, who appear to be making themselves comfortable in the visitor chairs, and Steve. Tony turns into him, trembling. Steve immediately gathers him into a warm hug and nuzzles at him, tugging at their bond until Tony weakly nudges back. 

"We love you," Steve murmurs into his ear. "It's gonna be okay."

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


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